Skip to main content
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Get Fabric Certified for FREE during Fabric Data Days. Don't miss your chance! Request now

Reply
NuTek
Frequent Visitor

Pass-through relationship not working... Why?

I have three tables with a relationship between each one

 

Table1

Key1

Col1

 

Table2

Key1

Key2

Col2

 

Table3

Key2

Col3

 

Relationships:

Table1(Key1) --> Table2(Key1)

Table2(Key2) --> Table3(Key2)

 

If I add a slicer on Table3's column Key2 and a table visual displaying Table1.Col1, I expected the table's contents to change when I select different values in the slicer.   They do not.    If I add Table2.col2 to the table visual everything works.

 

Why doesn't Power BI walk through the relationships from Table3->Table2->Table1 if I do not reference a column from Table2?

 

 

In SQL I can do the equivalent query and it works (see below), so why not in Power BI?

     Select Table1.Col1

       from Table1, Table2, Table3

     where Table1.Key1 = Table2.Key1

        and Table2.Key2 = Table3.Key3

        and Table3.Col3 = 'XYZ'

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Greg_Deckler
Community Champion
Community Champion

Are your filter directions really unidirectional? If so, that's probably your answer, convert them to cross-filter in both directions.



Follow on LinkedIn
@ me in replies or I'll lose your thread!!!
Instead of a Kudo, please vote for this idea
Become an expert!: Enterprise DNA
External Tools: MSHGQM
YouTube Channel!: Microsoft Hates Greg
Latest book!:
DAX For Humans

DAX is easy, CALCULATE makes DAX hard...

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
Greg_Deckler
Community Champion
Community Champion

Are your filter directions really unidirectional? If so, that's probably your answer, convert them to cross-filter in both directions.



Follow on LinkedIn
@ me in replies or I'll lose your thread!!!
Instead of a Kudo, please vote for this idea
Become an expert!: Enterprise DNA
External Tools: MSHGQM
YouTube Channel!: Microsoft Hates Greg
Latest book!:
DAX For Humans

DAX is easy, CALCULATE makes DAX hard...

Thanks! I missed the bi-directional relationship 🙂

 

Helpful resources

Announcements
November Power BI Update Carousel

Power BI Monthly Update - November 2025

Check out the November 2025 Power BI update to learn about new features.

Fabric Data Days Carousel

Fabric Data Days

Advance your Data & AI career with 50 days of live learning, contests, hands-on challenges, study groups & certifications and more!

FabCon Atlanta 2026 carousel

FabCon Atlanta 2026

Join us at FabCon Atlanta, March 16-20, for the ultimate Fabric, Power BI, AI and SQL community-led event. Save $200 with code FABCOMM.